Charges stayed for four Canadian terror suspects

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada has set aside charges against
four suspects in an alleged al Qaeda-inspired terror plot,
nearly two years after their arrest, a spokesman for the
federal prosecutor's office said on Tuesday.

"If there is no further action in a one-year period then
basically they have the same effect as being dropped," said Dan
Brien of the government's decision to have the charges stayed.

Three of the men who had their charges stayed on Tuesday
also signed peace bonds, which promise good behavior, set a
curfew and limit their association with certain people.

The four were among 18 people who were arrested in June
2006 on charges that included planning bomb attacks in major
Canadian cities, belonging to a terrorist group, and giving or
receiving training in terrorism.

Last year, charges against three young offenders who were
arrested in the police sweep were also stayed. Charges are
proceeding against 10 adults and one young offender.

Police arrested the group after members allegedly attempted
to buy three metric tons of what they thought was ammonium
nitrate, the bomb-making ingredient that was used in the 1995
Oklahoma City blast that killed 168 people.

According to police, members of the group discussed bomb
targets that allegedly included the Toronto Stock Exchange and
the Toronto headquarters of Canada's spy agency, the Canadian
Security Intelligence Service.

One of the defendants allegedly talked of storming the
Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and taking legislators hostage
to try to force the government to withdraw Canadian troops from
Afghanistan.